Iran gas summit raises questions

TEHRAN, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Two Western energy firms will sponsor a global natural gas conference in Tehran during the weekend, to the ire of Iran's critics and the sanctions regime.

French major Total and the Austrian OMV oil and gas corporation are the primary sponsors from the West at an Iranian-hosted gas export conference. Developers said the conference will focus on development of the Iranian gas sector, but critics say any commercial benefit to Iran would be harmful to its people, Voice of America said Friday.

The Islamic Republic was slapped with economic sanctions by the international community over its controversial nuclear program. Simone Dinah Hartmann with Stop the Bomb, an advocacy group in opposition to Iran, said the participants are having a negative consequence.

"They think they are helping the Iranian people by investing in Iran," she said. "And I think it has to be made clear to them that, actually, they are the ones hurting people in Iran."

Iran has the second-largest gas reserves in the world, and some analysts say the sanctions regime does little to prevent commercial investment in Iran. Sean McCormack, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, however, said any move toward Tehran is suspect.

"Now is not the time to be discussing with Iran investments in its oil and gas industry," he said.